Not so perfect after all
by Missbooie
Summary: An ideal student is about to arrive at Holby City Hospital in the Emergency Department. On paper she seems perfect- but is she really?


'Gather around everyone. I just have a quick announcement.' Slowly the staff gathered around where Connie was standing. 'We have a student from Holby High School with us this week. Her name is Sandra Birch. She will be shadowing Ethan and Robyn so I'd appreciate it if you two stayed together.'

'How old is she?'

'15.'

'I thought we didn't so shadowing for anyone under 17!' Cal challenged.

'Look Caleb. I have carefully arranged this. According to her school she's a straight A student, likeable, hard worker, quiet. It should be fine. Right- anyone else,' she pointedly looked at Cal 'who has any problems find me in my office. She'll be here in an hour so back to work please.'

Her shoes clipped along the corridor before stopping at her office door and entering.

'So Robyn- you're with me this week then.'

'I've heard worse things. I think it'll be refreshing to have some young energy around.' She smiled and walked off.

'Good luck with all that.' Cal punched Ethan's shoulder before wandering back to reception to collect his third patient of the day, leaving Ethan to rub his arm in an attempt to diffuse the pain.

The next hour flew by.

'Hey. I'm Sandra Birch!' She drawled in a fake American accent. With one look the team could tell that this wasn't going to work- naturally she was tall but the killer heels she wore allowed her to tower over Ethan and Robyn. Her hair was back-combed and loose, hot pink lipstick coated her mouth that was noisily chewing gum. She wore a big coat that was a little too short in the arms and a tight fitted dress that seemed to stop abruptly halfway down her thigh. She wobbled towards Ethan, swaying in the shoes. 'So. When do I start?'

Ethan gritted his teeth and said, 'I'm going to collect my next patient from reception. You can wait with Nurse Miller. I'm Dr Hardy by the way.'

'Okay.'

Robyn analysed the girls face, which she could just see. It was naturally tanned but caked in makeup. Bold eyeshadow, thick mascara, heavy eyeliner. She had massive gold hoops in that made Robyn's ears ache just by looking at them.

'You have to stay quiet while Dr Hardy is examining his patient. If you have any questions ask him when he's finished.' Her tone was harsh.

Ethan's patient was a 22 year old art graduate who had tripped over and grazed her arm while also spraining it nastily. It needed cleaning, bandaging and then putting in a sling. Simple. He ignored Sandra and just talked to his patient.

'I want you to stay nice and still while I get out the gravel.' Silence settled over the room. Ethan leant forward with the tweezers to pick out some of the small stones stuck in her wound.

'What's that for?' Sandra's drawl cut through the silence and made Ethan jump and drop the tweezers in surprise. They landed on the floor and, therefore, were no longer sterile.

'I am going to ask you to leave Miss Birch. You're too disruptive.' Sulkily she left and walked past the rest of the cubicles.

'She's a nightmare! I can't believe Connie let her in. How are we going to cope for a week?' Sandra overheard other members of staff in a cubicle as she walked past. She pulled off the shoes and ran barefoot through the department before locking herself in a store cupboard and curling up on the floor, sobbing.

'Cal- have you seen Sandra?' It had been two hours since she was asked to leave the cubicle and no one had seen her.

'Nope. How's that all going?'

'Not now. Seriously- I need to find her.'

'Ask Charlie he might have seen her.' Ethan saw Charlie walking down the corridor and jogged to catch up with him. He asked the same question and received the same answer. He looked around frantically. Where the hell was she? She couldn't have just disappeared off the face of the earth! Ethan leant against the wall considering his options. He could tell Connie that she had left and continue his day in peace or he could tell Connie she'd gone missing and spend his day looking for her. He sighed and continued to think. The hospital seemed much quieter over here. No screaming, no shouting, no machines, no footsteps and no talking but there was something. A faint sound of crying. Ethan looked around. No one was there. The only thing that surrounded him were store rooms. He worked his way through the rooms- systematically opening and closing each one. He went to the last door and tried the handle. It didn't budge. He rattled it some more, trying to open it. Momentarily the crying stopped to call

'Go away!'

It was a voice he didn't recognise at all. It sounded young, and very scared. Max walked past whistling and pushing a trolly of linens.

'Max- have you got a key for this door?'

'Yeah.' He rooted around in his pocket, found the key and unlocked the door but didn't open it.

'Why didn't you open it?'

'Honestly? I don't really care what's behind it. Plus Connie might slaughter me if I don't get this to her in the next ten seconds.' And he was gone, the wheels squeaking into the distance.

Ethan pushed open the door and found Sandra curled up with her knees drawn tightly to her chest sobbing. He sat down heavily next to her after flicking on the light and closing the door.

'Want to explain what's going on?'

'This isn't me. You have to believe me. It's just- just-'

Ethan wrapped his arms around her and let her sob into his shoulder, soaking his scrub top.

'Just what?'

'The other girls at the home. They make fun of me all the time. They think I'm too nerdy and that it's stupid that I study hard and that I want to be a doctor. They told me to wear this. I didn't want to. They took all my other clothes and put these in my wardrobe. I don't know where my clothes are so I'm stuck in this. They said this was the only way that anyone would ever like me anyway.'

'That's definitely not true.'

'Now everyone hates me anyway!'

'That's not true. Okay maybe it is but I'm sure you could change it.'

'I just want to go home.'

'Really?'

'No. I just want to go.'

'I don't think you really want to. I think we should continue talking. I like the real Sandra.'

'Sandy.'

'What sorry?'

'Sandy. That's my nickname. It's what my dad used to call me.'

'Used to?'

'He died when I was 8. Car accident. I've been in care since. It was just outside my school. He was late picking me up but I didn't mind. He did his best to look after me, my mum left before my first birthday, and I loved him with all my heart. He was driving to pick me up in the rain. A woman ran in front of his car and he swerved to avoid her, smashing straight into a brick wall. He didn't stand a chance. There was another girl waiting with me- Yasmin- she used to bully me all the time about the fact that I didn't have a mum but she didn't have a dad so I don't get her problem. It was her mum that ran in front of my dad's car but she didn't care that her mum killed my dad because her mum died later that day. Choked to death on her own vomit after a heavy night of drinking because of the ordeal she had had. Someone thought it was a smart idea for us to be placed in the same home. She's head of the cows at the home- she's the one who's clothes I'm stuck in and who stole my clothes.'

'Sorry.'

'For what?'

'That you've been through so much rubbish. That you've had to put up with these girls.'

'Do you know what the worst part is? I don't blame her for my dad's death. I blame her mum. Her mum who is now dead. I blame a dead woman for making my life hell. I want to be able to shout at her and say that it's all her fault, like she did to me, but that isn't who I am.'

'Well then who are you?'

'I don't know.'

'I think we should change that.' Ethan stood up and brushed the dust from his trousers, he then offered Sandy a hand to help her up.

'Where are we going?'

'We are going to the staffroom, Mrs Beauchamp's office and then we'll sort you out with something more appropriate to wear.' He glanced at Sandy's now bare feet which we red and sore from the shoes. 'And some shoes that actually fit you.'

'Thanks.'

Ethan opened the door and glanced outside. All clear.

'Right go to the staffroom. It's the first room on the right at the end of the corridor. I'll be there in a minute.'

Sandy hurried off down the corridor. Ethan set off in the opposite direction to find Robyn.

'Robyn and I are going to help you sort all of this out- okay?'

'Yeah. Sorry.'

'I have some makeup wipes in my locker,' she rummaged around 'Somewhere...'

'Sandy- what size feet do you have?'

'Erm most of my shoes are 10s'

Robyn stopped searching her locker and turned to look at her, she joined with Ethan in a look of shock.

'10?!'

'Yeah. Sorry.'

'This may be a bit of a problem that's all. I have a second pair of shoes in my locker but they're only a 8. Cal's a 10 but I don't know if he has any spare shoes.' He looked towards Robyn.

'Don't look at me! I've only got baby feet!' She kicked up her foot to show the others. 'See! They're only size 4!'

Sandy stifled a giggle. Ethan stood next to her she was a good 2 inches taller than him.

'I'm about 5 foot 7 so I guess you'd be about 5 foot 9- possibly even 5"10". I'll go get you some scrubs.'

'Aha! Got them.' Robyn threw the packet of wipes at Sandy who caught them before they slipped through her fingers and landed on the floor. She promptly set about removing all the makeup from her face, revealing her delicate nose, rosy cheeks and chocolatey eyes.

'Hair brush?'

'Please!'

It took a while but eventually she managed to cram her long hair into one plait running down her back. By this point Ethan had returned with some turquoise scrubs and a navy blue hoodie.

'These should fit based on your height and build but there are other sizes if they don't. The jumper is so you don't get confused with the doctors who wear this colour of scrubs. I also found a badge that says 'Observer' so hopefully you're all set now. Oh right- the shoes.' He scurried off again.

'Is there somewhere I can get changed?'

'It'd be easier if you stayed in here but you could just pop in the storage room behind you.'

Sandy emerged moments later dressed in the borrowed clothes. It really suited her- like it was always meant to be. Ethan reappeared with another, taller, doctor dressed in grey.

'This is my brother Caleb. He's got a spare pair of shoes in his locker and I have some spare socks.' Cal handed the shoes over. White and navy running shoes. She slipped them on. Their comfort was incomparable to the heels she had worn earlier.

'Better?'

'You have no idea. Thank you. All of you.'

'What for?'

'Everything. I was such a cow earlier and all you've done since is been so incredibly nice. I don't deserve it.'

'I think you do. You'll be fine here. I know you will.'

'It's not you I have to convince though is it Dr Hardy?'

'Ethan. We need to go and talk to Mrs Beauchamp.' He turned to Cal and Robyn. 'We may be a while so you should probably get back out there.'

Silently they left the room.

'Can I ask you something?'

'Yeah.'

'The scars on your feet and ankles. What are they from?'

'Do you remember Yasmin that I mentioned earlier?'

'Yeah.'

'She pushed me down the stairs about a month after our parents died. I broke both my legs and several bones in my feet. The feet were open fractures but my legs were just displaced. I have rods in both of them. That's why they're a mess.'

'Yet she still lives with you.'

'People at the home labeled it as an accident. Yasmin told everyone I threw myself down the stairs when I told people what she did.'

'Sorry.'

'So Mrs Beauchamp?'

'Yeah. You'd better wait outside and I'll explain everything to her. With any luck you'll be back in cubicles soon.'

'Thanks Dr Hardy.'

'Ethan.'

Ethan had been in Mrs Beauchamp's office for ages! What was taking him so long?

'She is going to give you a second chance.'

'Thank you!' She threw her arms around Ethan's neck and hugged him. She was surprisingly strong for a 15 year old.

'Hello everyone. This is Sandy. She'll be observing with myself and Robyn. She will be here for the week.'

'I am sorry for earlier. I truly am. I hope that you can give me a second chance- a clean slate.' This wasn't the girl who had walked in this morning. The rest of the staff saw this. Maybe the week wasn't going to be too bad after all...

'Ethan!' A woman was waving at him from reception.

'Wow. You look incredible. And so, so happy.'

'You haven't changed a bit!'

'How long is it since you were here?'

'10 years. I wanted to thank you Ethan. You saved my life.' She threw her arms around him. This wasn't a past patient. This was just a girl. A girl who's life changed in a day over and over again.

'That's what doctors do isn't it?'

'It's what you do and hopefully, soon, what I'll do. Thank you.'

'For what?'

'For believing in me. For never giving up. For everything.'

After hearing about Sandy's troubles at the home Ethan called them and had long discussions about it. By the end of a very successful week for Sandy she was transferred. She left Holby and left her bullies behind. She finished school and left with four A stars. She enrolled at a nearby medical school and started her training. Now, 10 years later, she returned to thank the man who had saved her- not by his intelligence, not by his charm, not by his connections but by his kindness and compassion for those around him.

No one is ever perfect but Dr Ethan Hardy certainly came pretty close.


End file.
